The Problem of Relevance in Post-Actor-Network Theory

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of relevance in post-actor network theory. In the context of the turn to the material in sociological theory, one of the key tasks is to determine the relevance of non-humans in social interactions or in broader social processes. This article critically examines various solutions to the problem of relevance in actor-network theory. Latourian solution focuses on the disciplinary power of objects and leaves out other types of object agency. We demonstrate that the re-conceptualization of the object in post-actor-network theory (Law, Mol, Singleton) opens up new aspects of the relevance problem. Although researchers manage to solve the so-called problem of network isolationism, a new problem arises related to the identification of object boundaries. Since post-actor network theory conceptualizes the object as multiple and enacted in practices, the question of relevance of the material object shifts to the question of relevant practices in which different versions of the object are enacted. Within the framework of post-ANT, a topological model of object enactments has been developed — researchers show that an object can exist in region, network, fluid and fire space. As a consequence, the key task of the analyst becomes the identification of the multiple spaces within which the object is enacted. However, the topological model used by post-ANT researchers focuses only on the spaces of the object, leaving out the temporal dimension of enactments. In this paper, we problematize the status of fluid and fire spaces and suggest that they should be considered as temporal rather than spatial concepts. We conclude by outlining prospects for developing a temporal conceptualization of multiple objects.